


Zuko is a drama lord

by Nekosume



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bad Jokes, Gen, Theater Nerd Zuko (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:01:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25270570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekosume/pseuds/Nekosume
Summary: He might be a bit of a dramatic Fire Lord. But he always gets it right eventually. With enough theatrical air.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 104





	Zuko is a drama lord

He might be a bit of a drama ~~queen~~ Fire Lord.  
  
“ _Might?!_ ” Cue finger quotes and dramatic sputtering, “ _A bit?!_ Ow. Katara~! Ribs!”  
  
“Quiet, Sokka. Zuko is monologuing.”  
  
But his mother raised him at the teat of theater.  
  
“Ew. Teat-- Ah, I'll be quiet. Not the face!”  
  
So he's been practicing this speech for the last month and a half. He's poured over past Fire Lord speeches and found them wanting. Yes they are acceptably full of. Impact. But the romanticization of the blood of one's enemies and the ashes of foreign armies doesn't quite say “turned a new leaf”.  
  
He just wants this to go well. Aang has certainly paved the way for peace. He's infuriatingly good at making friends.  
  
“Aw thanks buddy!”  
  
But the first speech of any leader is what sets the tone for their rule. It is what the people harken back to. When his future generations remember his reign it is this moment, on the Summer Solstice, his inaugural peace speech, that will cement his position in Fire Nation history.  
  
“Eh, I think it's what you do not what you say, Sparky.”  
  
So he's here today, asking for the advise from his, traveling companions.  
  
“Friends!” Aang chirps.  
  
To help him decide on whether the thematic motifs of his speech should come from _Love amongst the Dragons_ or _Spirit's Divide: a Love Story_. Both are a little romantic, but that's what calls to him right now and really Noren's soliloquy to the mortal disguised Dragon Empress is just. Just.  
  
Plumes of flames billow from Zuko's hands and his eyes spark.  
  
Katara sighs and accepts her position as the mom friend once again.  
  
“Zuko. Your people will remember your rule no matter how well this speech goes. And maybe _Love amongst the Dragons_ isn't the best inspiration for an anti-war speech.” She pats Zuko consolingly on the shoulder. “You should go with what your heart feels is right--”  
  
“Love amongst the Dragons is what is in my heart.”  
  
“Not that. Maybe the second” She pinches the bridge of her nose as Zuko pipes up with the first syllable of 'Spirits', “Third thing in your heart. You always get there eventually.” The horror of the last year and a half of her life dealing with Zuko flashes behind her eyelids. “Eventually.”  
  
Zuko pitifully begins to char a stack of papers. The smoke it makes distinctively looks like a broken heart.  
  
“You know what, Sokka you're good at speeches. Aang and I are going to go admire the komodo rhinos, I hear there's new babies.”  
  
“Babies?! Let's go Katara!”  
  
“I'm gonna go check out the kitchen. I think chef's almost gotten used to me sneaking up on him. So I think shuffling the dishes in the cabinet will be fun. Good luck Sparky. You got this.”  
  
“Please don't terrify my staff.” Zuko waves without turning and sweeps up the remains of draft number 32. He really hopes his chef has a thick skin, his curry is spicy and amazing.  
  
“Was that sarcasm?”  
  
“Don't ask me man. I don't even know anymore.”  
  
They're silent for a moment as Zuko shuffles to his study desk and removes a new stack of papers, a fresh brush, and ink pot.  
  
“So. I think your speech needs a bit of humor. Something to diffuse the hundred years of suffering, and all that.” Sokka swipes the brush and stuffs it in his mouth. “How many puns about flames is too many?”

\---

Zuko is a bit of a drama ~~queen~~ LORD. But years from now when people are quoting his speech and grey predominates his hair, he blames Katara.  
  
“The last emberial delegate--”  
  
“All's fire in love and war, but it was a step too fire to attempt to raze the Earth Kingdom to the ground.”  
  
Sokka is proud of that one, it's ahem _flameous_.  
  
Zuko then has a two minute excerpt from his favorite plays that barely make any sense in the context of his speech. And that the Ember Island Theater may take some offense to with hush hushed accusations of plagiarism.  
  
But in the end his speech does as was intended. None of the other nations think that Fire Lord Zuko will lead his nation to war again. Or had any part in the genocide of others. Or could or would commit war crimes. Ever.  
  
They do believe he will revolutionize pyrotechnics because wow the special effects at the climactic flourish of his speech (do speeches even have climaxes?) were phenomenal.  
  
And if it hurts his pride later on and Katara teases him about it mercilessly (“Dear extinguished guests, really?”), at least his future speeches find the balance of drama and seriousness.  
  
Zuko always gets there eventually.  
  
And his new theater troupe and newly (award winning) collection of plays are a testament to that.  
  
His illustrious career as Fire Lord too.


End file.
